Chelsea's Fofana offers 'far from' Leicester valuation, says Rodgers

Chelsea's offers for Wesley Fofana fall 'far short' of Leicester City's valuation of the defender, according to Foxes manager Brendan Rodgers.

Since Chelsea missed out on Jules Kounde to Barcelona last month, they have been credited with a keen interest in the 21-year-old centre-back from Leicester.

Fofana made just seven Premier League appearances for the Foxes last campaign after suffering a broken fibula but impressed, making 28 league appearances as Leicester finished fifth the season before.< /p>

It has been suggested that Chelsea could break the world record for a defender - currently the £80m Manchester United are paying for Harry Maguire - with a move for Fofana, as reports claim the Blues have already seen two offers rejected.

And Rodgers insisted no satisfactory offer had been tabled as he claimed another season at King Power Stadium would benefit Fofana.

"There were two [offers], but far from what the club would consider," Rodgers said at a press conference on Thursday.

"We're not looking to sell. Naturally, if there's interest from other clubs, that's looked at by the club. He's one of the best young defenders and there isn't. a lot at his age.

"Another year for him at least [at Leicester] would be really important for his development. Wesley is quite calm about the situation. He is aware of the interest. He just continues his work.

"It can affect the whole group if you don't manage it. You have to keep an eye on the ball. But everyone is focused on giving their best in Leicester City games."

Fofana started as part of a three-man defense as Leicester began their Premier League campaign with a 2-2 draw against Brentford last Sunday.

Meanwhile, Leicester have allowed long-serving goalkeeper Kasper Schmeichel to join Nice and remain the only Premier League side without a senior addition in the transfer window.

And Rodgers admits the club have to sell to buy as they seek to rebalance their squad, telling BBC's Kammy and Ben's Proper Football podcast: "Now the expectations are so high that the eighth doesn't seem where we should be.

"We will keep pushing but we don't have the resources. This season will be a season for us where we will try to balance the books.

"Most of the big teams, you can see they come out and can spend big again. We haven't been able to do that, we're trying to balance our books.

"I'm focusing on the players we have. Players develop and improve, then we'll see how high we go in the rankings. We're not going to set any targets now, but we're going to enjoy of the journey and see where it takes us."